MUSIC SCENE: Catching up with blues queen Shemekia Copeland

Saturday night Shemekia Copeland is appearing as the headliner of the second night of the New England Blues Summit, at the Cape Cod Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis.

By Jay N. Miller/For The Patriot Ledger

The year 2017 is shaping up as a very memorable year for family in Shemekia Copeland’s life and career. Next month her late father, bluesman Johnny Copeland, will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, almost exactly 20 years since his death from heart problems.

At the same time, Shemekia, whose fine 2015 album “Outskirts of Love” earned a Grammy nomination, is still basking in her Blues Music Award as last year’s Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and planning her next new album for later this year.

But most important of all, this year has seen the arrival – on Christmas Eve no less – of Johnny Lee Copeland-Schultz, Shemekia’s first child, named after her dad.

Saturday night Shemekia Copeland is appearing as the headliner of the second night of the New England Blues Summit, at the Cape Cod Resort and Conference Center in Hyannis.

We had to move our telephone interview up a couple hours at the last minute, so we began by apologizing and hoping the mid-morning call was not inconvenient.

“Oh, with the new baby, I’ve been up since 6:30,” Shemekia said laughing from her Chicago home. “That’s why I haven’t been touring lately. I’ve been doing a few weekend shows, where I can take him with me. He has brought nothing but joy to my life. If I was a millionaire and could have anything I wanted, I’d want to have a bunch more babies.”

Shemekia began singing with her dad, casually, at a young age, and by the time she was 10 he had brought her out onstage at the Cotton Club. Born in Harlem, Shemekia and her mother moved to Teaneck, N.J., when she was 13. As her father’s heart problems became more limiting to his career, he began taking her out on the road with him, giving her some valuable experience from the time she was 16. Johnny Copeland was one of the most galvanizing, raw and emotionally potent performers on the music scene in the 1980s and ‘90s, but Shemekia had just graduated from Teaneck High School in 1997 when he died at age 60.

By the time she was 18, Shemekia had made her debut album, “Turn the Heat Up,” for Alligator Records, the premier blues label, and it wasn’t long before she was quickly becoming a major star in her own right. Her style is a bit more refined than her dad’s, with a more rock ’n’ soul flavor, but with all of that visceral impact that hits home with every song. Her sophomore album, “Wicked” in 2000 helped her win three Blues Music Awards, and her next album, 2002’s “Talking to Strangers,” was produced by Dr. John. For her 2005 album, “The Soul Truth,” guitarist Steve Cropper of Booker T and the MGs took over the producer’s role.

Shemekia left Alligator in 2009, and made a couple albums for Telarc, exploring more of her jazzier side, before returning in 2015 to Alligator. Her last three albums have been produced by Oliver Wood of the jam-rocking Wood Brothers and if she had her way her next one would also be done under his direction.

“I started to think about my next album as soon as I had my baby,” said Copeland, 38. “But I didn’t want to rush into it. I want to take my time. I like to put a lot of thought and care into it, but the next one is definitely being talked about, and we are starting to get ready to record. We are talking about producers, but if I could I’d just work with Oliver Wood forever.”

Copeland explained: “He loves all genres of music, just like me, so that is a huge factor for me. He forces me to try things I’m not comfortable with, and I think that is one thing that makes a great producer. We all tend to stick with our comfort zone, and I believe you need someone like that to push you into new areas. I know some performers who’ve been doing the same set for 30 or 40 years, but that’s never going to be me. I always want to push myself and constantly try to evolve as an artist. These days everybody wants to be everything – singer/songwriter/guitarist and so on. But me? I’m still just trying to learn how to be a good singer.”

The approaching 20-year mark of her dad’s death is in her mind but Shemekia can also celebrate his memory, and of course, his namesake.

“It doesn’t seem that long – the last 20 years have been a blur,” Copeland said. “I love that his legacy continues to live on, and I’m so happy he’s being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame this year. That’s the best part of being a musician; he didn’t just die, people remember him 20 years later. Hopefully even more people can learn about him through the hall of fame and through my music too.”

Johnny Copeland was a regular attraction in the Boston area, mostly at the old Huntington Avenue club owned by Milton’s Ed Burke, who died in February. Burke had gotten to know the whole Copeland family and was a big booster of Shemekia’s career from the start.

“I was so sad when I heard about Ed,” said Copeland. “He was such a great blues supporter, who traveled all over the country to catch shows and he will be sorely missed. He came out to see me any time we played anywhere close to Boston, and he also came out to the Chicago blues fest every year. Actually he used to call my mother more often than me – they would talk a lot on the phone, so I was always up to date on what he was doing.”

One contemporary of her dad’s and of Burke was Chicago’s late Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor. At the 2011 Chicago blues fest, Taylor’s daughter presented Copeland with her late mother’s crown, a touching moment that underlines how Shemekia’s impact crosses generations.

“Koko Taylor had become a good friend of mine – I absolutely adored her,” said Copeland. “She was so kind and generous to me when I started out. She was always my queen. To think I can be seen as carrying on that tradition makes me very proud. When her daughter gave that to me, it reminded me of something Koko told me, and I took it to heart. Koko told me she loved that I was doing my own thing and not just following her or anyone else and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Later this spring, Copeland will be performing as part of the Thistle Farms concert at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, part of an all star lineup that includes country’s Reba McIntire and Americana stars John Prine and Amanda Shires. It’s a benefit for at-risk women battling addiction, trafficking and prostitution.

“I’ve been working, directly and indirectly, with women who’ve been abused for some years now,” Copeland noted. “This will be the first time I’ve sung at this concert, but the whole concept is to talk about and expose these issues and empower women to overcome these situations. There are a lot of different styles on this show, but music is universal. People who love music just love good music. I know that’s how I am, and believe me, when it comes to styles, no stone goes unturned in this house.”

Copeland will be bringing little Johnny Lee to Cape Cod, although he likely won’t be at the show. But playing just before her is Marshfield resident Anthony Geraci’s Boston Blues All Stars, which usually include Monster Mike Welch, an old pal of Shemekia’s since they were teenagers taking the stage at the original House of Blues in Harvard Square. Last spring, Welch joined Copeland at The Narrows Center in Fall River for an unforgettable encore, so another such moment is always possible.

“That’s what happens when you’ve known and sung with someone for 22 years,” Copeland said, when apprised of how stunning we’d found that duet last year. “Mike and I have been friends for a long time and we enjoy playing music together. And I’m really excited to get to Cape Cod for this show – New England has been with me from the beginning.”IF YOU GOWHAT: New England Blues SummitWHEN: April 28-30WHERE: Cape Cod Resort and Conference Center, 35 Scudder Ave., HyannisTICKETS: $35 and upINFORMATION: 781-254-5986 or newenglandbluessummit.com